Valsartan

Conditions Treated

Valsartan is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure. It is also used to treat congestive heart failure (condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the rest of the body) and to improve survival after a heart attack. Valsartan is in a class of medications called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. It works by blocking the action of certain natural substances that tighten the blood vessels, allowing the blood to flow more smoothly and the heart to pump more efficiently.

Possible Side Effects

What Side Effects Can This Cause?

Valsartan may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• dizziness
• headache
• excessive tiredness
• nausea
• diarrhea
• stomach pain
• back pain
• joint pain
• blurry vision
• cough
• rash

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS section, call your doctor immediately:

• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• hoarseness
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• unexplained weight gain

Valsartan may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Usage Instructions

How Should This Medication Be Used

Valsartan comes as a tablet to take by mouth. For the treatment of high blood pressure, it is usually taken once a day with or without food. For the treatment of heart failure or heart attack, it is usually taken twice a day with or without food. To help you remember to take valsartan, take it at around the same time(s) every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take valsartan exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor may start you on a low dose of valsartan and gradually increase your dose. Valsartan controls high blood pressure and heart failure but does not cure them. Your blood pressure may decrease during the first 2 weeks of your treatment, but it may take 4 weeks for you to notice the full benefit of valsartan.Continue to take valsartan even if you feel well. Do not stop taking valsartan without talking to your doctor. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient.

What Dietary Instructions Should I Follow

Do not use salt substitutes containing potassium without talking to your doctor. If your doctor prescribes a low-salt or low-sodium diet, follow these directions carefully.

Are There Any Special Instructions

Before taking valsartan, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to valsartan,any other medications, or any of the ingredients in valsartan tablets. tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention the following: aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) and selective COX-2 inhibitors such as celecoxib (Celebrex);cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral,Sandimmune); diuretics ('water pills'), including potassium-sparing diuretics such as amiloride (Midamor, in Hydro-ride, in Moduretic), spironolactone (Aldactone, in Aldactazide), and triamterene (Dyrenium, in Dyazide, in Maxzide); other medications to treat high blood pressure or a heart problem; potassium supplements; rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate, in Rifater); and ritonavir (Norvir). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had blockage of the bile duct (condition when bile can not flow from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine, which can occur with gallstones, tumors, or injury); heart, kidney, or liver disease. you should know that valsartan may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking valsartan. To help avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up. you should know that diarrhea, vomiting, not drinking enough fluids, and sweating a lot can cause a drop in blood pressure, which may cause lightheadedness and fainting. Tell your doctor if you have any of these problems or develop them during your treatment.